war commenced

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "war commenced" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate the beginning of a conflict or military engagement. Example: "After months of escalating tensions, war commenced between the two nations, leading to widespread devastation."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

[The Franco-Prussian war commenced on 19 July 1870].

The Guardian

When the First World War commenced, in 1914, he volunteered for the German Army, and acquitted himself well as a soldier.

The New Yorker

But as the war commenced, this hope receded, and the contacts and connections Mackintosh had in Europe were, by necessity, severed.

The Guardian - Books

When the Cold War commenced in the mid-1940s, the NAACP distanced itself from Communists, lest its funding or reputation suffer.

Wikipedia

When the Korean War commenced on 25 June 1950, the 36th looked to recruit experienced veterans to help it gain federal recognition.

Wikipedia

The Taliban were potentially only weeks from victory until the events of 9/11 allowed the CIA the justification it needed to expand its support of the Northern Alliance and America's longest war commenced.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

Production of Summer Wars commenced in 2006.

Wikipedia

The model wars commenced, with some prominent defections; Brinkley, for instance, briefly joined Casablancas' Elite agency before being wooed back to Ford, who sued Elite when it opened in New York.

Los Angeles Times

The source of said lava, the La Brea Tar Pits (one of LA's more dubious tourist attractions: a primordial swamp that contains dinosaur bones and smells of eggy farts), also opens and closes Steve De Jarnatt's pocket-apocalypse cult thriller Miracle Mile, set on the same stretch of Wilshire Boulevard on the night nuclear war commences.

The Guardian - Film

"Just write an article about what a mean mommy you are, get a lot of sexy media attention and hate mail for it, and watch the bidding war commence!" It was bad enough, the thinking went, to write about your daughter and her weight problems in Vogue, possibly the spiritual home of the eating disorder.

The New York Times

The film's next surprise is that even when the Civil War commences, the tone remains as fast and frivolous as ever.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "war commenced" when aiming for a slightly more formal or historical tone than "war began" or "war started".

Common error

Avoid using "war commenced" in very informal contexts where simpler alternatives like "war began" would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "war commenced" functions as a statement indicating the beginning of a period of armed conflict. Ludwig AI validates its usage with numerous examples from diverse sources, confirming its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

32%

Science

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "war commenced" is a grammatically sound way to indicate the beginning of a conflict. While Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides numerous examples, it's worth noting that simpler alternatives like "war began" or "war started" are more common in contemporary usage. "War commenced" is suitable for neutral to formal contexts, particularly in news reporting and historical narratives. While effective, it is less common in informal speech, as we have seen, it's important to be aware of the tone that this phrase set when writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

war began

Uses a simpler verb, "began", instead of "commenced".

war started

Replaces "commenced" with the more common verb "started".

hostilities initiated

Employs a more formal tone, replacing "war" with "hostilities" and "commenced" with "initiated".

the conflict started

Similar to "war started", but uses "conflict" as a broader term.

fighting erupted

Indicates a sudden and violent outbreak of conflict.

conflict broke out

Suggests an abrupt beginning of conflict.

the war was initiated

Uses a passive voice construction.

warfare ensued

Emphasizes the immediate continuation of events after the start of the war.

the battle began

Focuses on a specific battle as the starting point.

war got underway

Uses an idiom to indicate that war started.

FAQs

What's a more common way to say "war commenced"?

Alternatives include "war began" or "war started", which are generally more frequently used in contemporary English.

Is "war commenced" too formal for everyday speech?

While grammatically correct, "war commenced" leans toward the formal side. Simpler options like "war began" or "war started" may be preferable in casual conversations.

How does "war commenced" compare to "hostilities commenced"?

"Hostilities commenced" is even more formal than "war commenced". "Hostilities" refers specifically to acts of warfare, so it's often used in official or legal contexts, while "war commenced" is slightly broader and can fit into historical narratives more easily.

Can I use "war commenced" when talking about a non-military conflict?

While technically possible, "war commenced" is primarily associated with military conflicts. Using it for non-military situations might sound unusual; consider alternatives like "dispute began" or "conflict started".